Salman gives an Eid present

Sultan' promises to be a blockbuster:-

The much-anticipated Salman Khan and Anushka Sharma starrer Sultan releases in theatres today amidst much fanfare, and the good news for Salman fans is that the movie delivers! The first time pairing of Anushka-Salman is not only fresh, but also impactful. Both of them shine individually yet manage to share a natural chemistry, as it was essential to the movie that has romance and love as a major plot-theme.

Yes! Using the metaphor of wrestling, director Ali Abbas Zafar, manages to evoke the sentiments of everyone who has ever struggled in life and relationships, and risen and fought back.

The ambitions of all the 3 major characters – Anushka(Aarfa), Amit Sadh(Aakash Oberoi) and Randeep Hooda(Fateh Singh) - are interwoven beautifully in the plot of the movie to, ultimately, make Sultan realize all of their dreams. The journey of Salman’s character ‘Sultan’ could be anyone’s life journey. Add to it the movie’s setting in a middle-class town of Haryana; Sultan manages to strike just the right chord.

But that doesn’t mean that the movie doesn’t live up to the promise of some action-packed wrestling scenes. It does and wonderfully so. Besides, there are enough scenes in the first half of the movie to tickle your funny bone; some even give you a fit of laughter.

The spirit of Haryana is palpable all throughout the scenes of ‘desi’ wrestling arenas, beautiful farms, and natural side-characters that please with not only their Haryanvi accent but also their pleasant screen-presence. There are a few emotionally charged scenes that are capable of leaving you teary-eyed; most of them involve Anushka Sharma.

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‘Thumbs Up’ Moments

For a Salman Khan movie, Sultan had ample thumbs up moments.

There are high expectations from an entry scene of Salman in a Salman Khan movie. The movie keeps up with the expectations as Salman makes an entertaining and whistle-inducing entry in the wrestling arena, surrounded by cheering supporters and funny commentary in Haryanvi.

The climax of the movie comes just at the right time, and just when you think everything is right in ‘Sultan-Aarfa’ paradise, the movie takes a dramatic turn and leaves you wanting for more.

‘Thumbs down’ Moments

The movie, with detailed scenes of each round of the final wrestling match, seemed slightly stretched towards the end.

Soulful as it is, the song ‘Jag Ghoomeya’, seems like a distraction as it features in crucial last one hour of the movie in which you expect the movie to progress at a fast pace.

Music

The music is pleasing and adds to the many positives of the movie. The title track is especially catchy and successfully instills a sense of patriotism whenever it is played at the crucial moments of Sultan’s life and achievements. Rapped by Badshah, ‘Baby ko bass pasand hai’ leaves you grooving even more in the theatre.

Star Performances

Salman Khan 

The movie has enough grit to keep the fans thrilled and give them quite a few whistling moments. The wrestling scenes are choreographed decently and Salman, except for his broken Haryanvi accent, doesn’t look out-of-place in the wrestling arena. Portrayed as a 40-year-old wrestler, Salman looks convincing and comfortable in the skin of his character. It is endearing to watch him as Sultan; especially after Bajrangi Bhaijaan, through which he seemed to appeal to us to keep hope in his acting prowess alive.

Anushka Sharma

Anushka Sharma is a treat to watch. In fact, she manages to outshine Salman in some significant parts of the movie. Her character ‘Aarfa’ is that of a powerful wrestler who is as headstrong as she is beautiful. Born in Haryana and educated in Delhi, Aarfa, translates beautifully into the mould of ‘Modern exterior and ‘Desi’ heart that the director wanted her to fit in. With rosy cheeks and svelte figure, Anushka looks beautiful in the movie even with the minimal make-up.

Amit Sadh and Randeep Hooda

The supporting actors do their job well, especially, Amit Sadh who fits in to the character of a ‘businessman with a heart’ perfectly. Randeep Hooda‘s role, as Salman’s coach, is short but sweet, and, ladies he does look handsome as ever. The actor who plays Salman’s best friend in the movie has a surprisingly big chunk of screen space but we are not complaining at all as he looks natural!

The Verdict

The movie is a hit! For Salman’s brilliant portrayal of the character and for reinventing the lost glory of the sport of wrestling and weaving it beautifully with an emotional story, we give Sultan 4 stars. Let us know what you think about the movie